commons. prior to question time the house is wrapping up other business. this is live coverage on c-span2. >> will the secretary of state tell the house what is being done to make sure that the companies of the world smell the coffee as the prime minister wants when it comes to developing countries receiving their tax and? >> the policy of both our presidency at the g8 and more generally in the work we did in poor countries to make sure that we're far more transparency from global corporations, that they pay their fair share of tax, and that they do so to the most appropriate tax regimes in which they work. >> given recent events what additional help is he proposing for the people of yemen?

>> trying to the friends of yemen meeting is looming. we are supporting the social fund development that gives urgent food and welfare need. we are encouraging the government of yemen to set up an executive bureau for national dialogue, and we are also ensuring that pledged funds can find a proper method of being dispersed so they can go to the projects so desperately needed. >> order. questions to the prime minister. >> number one, mr. speaker. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in the cells i shall have further such meetings later today. >> thank you, mr. speaker. is it right that a mother and my contingency may not -- confirmed by his minister, her son serving in her majesty's armed forces -- [inaudible]

>> the reforms to housing benefit that we're putting in place, and i'm happy to look at the case of the honorable lady says -- [shouting] >> but they have a very clear principle out of their hard. there are many people who don't have housing benefit, who cannot afford extra bedrooms, and we have to get control of housing benefits. we are now spending as the country 23 billion pounds on housing benefits and we have to get that budget under control. >> rebekah harris. >> will my right honorable friend welcome today's news that university application for uk universities are up 3.5% of this year, and there at the highest level ever for disadvantaged students? >> i think my honorable friend makes it very important point about the figures that have been released this morning. after all, of the concerns that were expressed about the new way of paying for university

finance, reducing the number of students applying to university, the number of 18 year old has gone up, and it is now at level where it was in 2011 which is higher than any year under the last labour government. >> ed miliband. [shouting] >> mr. speaker, mr. speaker, in october the prime minister told me that when it came to the economy, and i quote, the good news will keep coming. after last week's growth figures it obviously hasn't. what is his excuse this time? >> as the right honorable gentleman nose gdp in the third quarter of last you went up by 4.9%. and is forecast by the office of -- it fell by 23%. only honorable members opposite each year that news. [cheers and applause] >> i think the right honorable gentleman should listen to the governor of the bank of england who said this. our economy is recovering more slowly than we might wish, but

we are moving in the right direction. the fall in unemployment number clearly back that up. >> ed miliband. >> what an extraordinarily complacent answer from the prime minister. let us understand the scale of his failure on growth. they told us in autumn 2010 that by now the economy would have grown by over 5%. can the prime minister tell us by how much the economy has actually grown since then? >> there's absolutely nothing complacent about this government. that is why we are cutting corporation tax. we are investing in enterprise zone, a million apprenticeships have perhaps started under this government. and let me point out to him what is actually happening in our economy. 1 million private sector jobs. in the last year alone, half a million private sector jobs, the fastest rate of job creation since 1989. that is what's happening.

but do we do need to do more to get the banks lend him to get businesses investing? yes, we do. and under this government we will. >> thank you just for once why doesn't he give us straight after two straight question? [shouting] growth was not 5% as he foreca forecast. but -- i'm about to give him some advice. i decided to the part-time chancellor, he should spend more time worrying about our economy and less time worrying about how to divert high speed of railroad away from his consistency. [shouting] we've had a flat-lining -- he should -- he shakes his head, but what does he have to say? your mp -- >> mr. alice, you are a distinguished practicing barrister. [shouting] >> you wouldn't behave like that. don't like that -- don't behave

like that in this chamber. calm yourself, man. mr. and melvin. >> growth was not 5% but 4.4%. a flat-lining economy means people's living standards are falling. his excuse is that other countries have done worse than us. so can he confirm that since the chancellor's spending review more than two years ago, as of 20 major cheat 28 economies britain has been 18th out of 24 growth? >> first of all let me say on high-speed rail come which goes right through the middle of the chancellor's constituency, we are proud of the fact it i is a this government has taken the decision to invest. just as this government that is building crossrail which is the biggest construction plan anywhere in europe. he asked about other european economies. the fact is if you listen to the european union, the oecd, or the imf, they all point out that

britain will have the fastest growth of any major economy in europe's -- in europe this year. but i have to ask them, what is his plan? we all know. it is a three-point plan. more spending, more borrowing from more debt. exactly the things that got us in the mess in the first place. >> i have to say we've gotten used to that kind of answer. he promises, he promises a better tomorrow, and tomorrow never comes. that is the reality. and he couldn't deny the fact that we're 18th out of 20 country. were done worse than the u.s.a., worse than candidate, worse than germany, worse than france because of his decisions. now last week, now last week the chief economist of the imf said this. he said if things look bad and at the beginning of 2013, which they do, he was talking about the uk, then you should be a reassessment of fiscal policy. so prime minister, after two years of no growth, county prime

minister tells what he should do anything differently in the next two years? >> first of all i would say that he should listen to the managing director of the imf who said this, she said this, when i think back myself in may 2010 when uk deficit was at 11%, when you were in office, right? and i tried to imagine, and i tried to imagine what the situation would be like to take if no such fiscal consolidation program had been decided, i shiver. that is what the imf says about the plan of the last labour government. now, he raises the issue of growth. >> order. it is not acceptable to shout down either the prime minister or the leader of the opposition, and the public have a very low opinion of that kind of behavior. let's hear the questions and hear the answers. the prime minister. >> he raises the issue of america, and american growth. the fact is our recession was longer and deeper than the recession in america.

the biggest banking bust was not in the american banks, it was british banks. he doesn't want -- they won't talk back to more because he doesn't want to talk back yesterday when the key people responsible for the regulars of the bank and the performance of our economy are sitting right there on the opposition and just. [shouting] >> ed miliband. >> once again a completely incomprehensible answer, tricky. basically the answer that he didn't want to give it is more of the same. more of the same. that is not working. he mentioned borrowing, mr. speaker. he is borrowing 212 billion pounds more than he promised. last week he told the country that he was and i quote paying down britain's debt. but the debt is rising and the borrowed billion pounds more so far this year compared to last year. won't he just admit, it is

hurting and it just isn't working? >> if the right honorable gentleman thinks there's a problem with borrowing why does he want to borrow more? the institute of fiscal studies says that labour's plan would basically add 200 billion pounds to britain's borrowing. he has made absolutely no apology for the mess they made of the economy. his whole message to the british people is give the car keys back to the people who crashed the car in the first place. they didn't regulate the banks. they built up the debt. we're going up the mess that he made. [shouting] >> ed miliband. >> he is borrowing for failure. that is the reality, and he is borrowing more for failure. that is the reality of his record. [shouting] and here is the truth. they said they would balance the books. they have and. they said they will be growth. there be growth. there is an. they said britain was out of the danger zone. is not. isn't the truth he has run out of excuses.

room because of his decisions this is the slowest recovery for 100 years? >> he talks about failure. we are dealing with year after year of failure from the party opposite. they didn't regulate the banks. they build up the debt. they had a totally unbalanced economy. what is happening under this government is a million private sector jobs, unemployment down since the election, the fastest way to business reaction in our recent history, a balance of payment service in cars. we are clearing up the mess they made. they are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past because they haven't learned the lessons and that's what the british public will never trust them with the economy i can. [shouting] >> thank you, mr. speaker. like the prime minister, i want to see a fresh a settlement for euro. german beer drinkers made 13 times more duty than british

drinkers. and spanish drinkers -- british drinkers paid 9.2% in spanish tankers and 10,000 more duty than spanish drinkers. will he take the chancellor for a pint? and do something for british pubs and british republicans speak with my honorable friend quite rightly speaks up for -- i remember visiting the great bravery with him during the last election. i'm sure the chancellor would have listened very carefully to what he said but i think it's very important that we action also tried to support the pub trade in the country and the government has planned for that as well. >> mr. speaker, thousands of my constituents in insulated homes fear high sky whether built. they are 7% interest charges with only five households signed up for it. how has the prime minister achieved this fiasco? >> i would say to the honorable gentleman i hope you'll welcome

the green deal because it gives households the opportunity to cut their bills and to cut their costs with absolutely no up front cost. he should be encouraging his constituents to do that. it is only just begun. the energy company of the nation also provide the opportunity to help insulate some 230,000 homes a year compared with 80,000 on the one from. instead of talking down the schemes he should be encouraging his constituents to take them up. >> mr. speaker, two men have drowned in stormy seas in separate incidents this week, despite the best efforts of brave lifeboat crews and the coordination of the britain's coast guard. how can the prime minister greater local fishermen to pay significant amounts of duty and taxes on their catch that it coast guard station is close, the risks they take will not increase? >> my honorable friend makes an

important point and it's a good moment to pay tribute to our coast guard into the incredible work the very difficult and dangerous work that they do. as he knows, the government's examination of the coast guard hasn't been about reducing the number of votes or active stations. it's about the coordination center and whether best locator i think that's an important point to make. >> thank you why isn't the case of the prime minister is fighting to go and visit a food banquets could it be he visited one, he sees a heartless a britain that he is creating? >> only yesterday i was discussing with a person who runs the food bank in my constituency, which i will be visiting very shortly, he pointed out to me, it was established five years ago and it is worth remembering that food bank use went up 10 times under the last labour government. but i think instead of

criticizing people who run food banks we should be thanking them for the work they do. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sure the prime minister will join me in thank you to all those who work in the rescue service. can ask the prime minister intervened personally in our battle to save the rescue helicopter and ask his minister to come down to listen to those who work in this life saving service, before it is cut? repeated requests so far have been ignored, and i think would be at least courteous and wise. >> well, i know that the transport, former sector estate and other ministers have met with my honorable friend giunta they would've listened very carefully to what he said. as those paying tribute to the coast guard. it's a good opportunity for tribute to the search and rescue services across the country. our reforms are aimed to prove average response time by 20%.

that is why we're going ahead with these reforms, i'm sure the ministers will listen very carefully to what he said. >> thank you, mr. speaker. prime minister, since you came into office, unemployment has increased, risen by over 15% and youth unemployment has risen by 9% to my right honorable friend has made reference to you in respect of goodness will keep coming. would the prime minister be good enough to explain to the house, and my constituents, exactly what is his definition of good news? especially in view of the economy at the end of last year, and that will lead to other economic -- [inaudible] >> if you look at scotland, in scotland unemployment has fallen by 40,000 this quarter but it's fallen by 10,000 since the general election. the number of people employed in scotland has actually gone up, and at one point i think it is important because we raised the

tax threshold is 180,000 people across scotland have been taken out of income tax altogether. there's much more that we need to do but i think that represents progress. >> on syria, the visiting people would be much better off -- [inaudible]. can my right honorable friend tells work on to do to help the poor people of serious? >> first of all my right honorable friend has likely visited the syrian border and seen the refugee camps for herself, and britain is i believe the second largest donor for aid and help into those refugee camps. he is right to say that one of the biggest things that could happen is for the chinese and the russians to consider again the positions and recognized the transition of the top of syria would be good for the whole of that part of the world, and i also believe good for russia as well. we should continue to work with the opposition groups in syria,

put pressure on the regime, not least through sanctions and also provide aid and help for those who are fleeing it. >> thank you, mr. speaker. seeing school technology -- [inaudible] some of the most deprived wards in the country. it is in need of replacement. will the prime minister acknowledged that the real reason for further 15 month delay in the report, in my constituency and others come is because the banks who continue to pay themselves huge bonuses simply refuse to lend the money on the 25 year term demanded by his education secretary? would he speak in plain language, maybe in latin, to the education secretary? [laughter] we need our new school. >> i will leave the latin to the mayor of london if that's all right but also to have a word with the education secretary. what i would say to him is if you look at school capital budget as a whole, they are

equivalent to what was previously labour government did in his earlier to pick the money is there. entrance of the banks, the funding for lenny seen from the bank of england, i think it is having an effect at lowering interest rates. we are reforming but we're also offering infrastructure guarantees, something the treasury has never done before, to help projects go ahead. >> thank you nothing is more important than the caring people delivering it. does the prime minister agree that raising the bar, elevating their space will help us teach the profession to poor parenting to children the best possible start in life? >> i think my honorable friend is right and i would pay tribute to what the department of education produced yesterday in terms of the whole series of proposals to expand to fit the and the affordability of childcare, while also making sure there's a real quality over there but i think we look across europe and we see countries that have very good and very affordable childcare, there are

lessons we can learn from them, and to those who say that changing the ratios are wrong, i would say look at the races and countries like denmark or france. we are coming in line to those and we can provide more available, more affordable childcare so those who want to go after work can find the childcare they need. >> the british government has to do except different welcome proposals of the electoral commission in relation to the independence referendum in schools. amongst those recommendations is that the uk government and the scottish government should jointly upgrade to clarify what process will follow the referendum for eithe either out. for giving the uk government and, indeed, the labour party have called for the full acceptance of the electoral commission recommendations, will the prime minister to give a commitment that he will work with the scottish government in advance of the referendum to come up with is a joint position? >> first of all, can i welcome the fact that the s&p have accepted with electoral commission found?

because the electoral commission were worried that franklin was a biased questions i think it's good to have accepted that. of course, we work with the scottish government in providing information but let me be clear about what we won't do. we will not renegotiate scotland's exit from the united kingdom. [shouting] it is frankly, it is his party that wants to break up the united kingdom, and its or his party to make the case. [shouting] >> would my right honorable friend confirmed, thank you the 2 million plus surge in net immigration under the last labour government has resulted in severe housing shortage is, critical overstretch and our infrastructure, and one household in 20 who don't speak english? would he agree with me that it's in the interest of all british citizens that we're starting to get a grip on our borders of?

>> i think my honorable friend is right to give you take the last decade, net migration to the uk was running at over 200,000 a year. that was 2 million across a decade. that's the equivalent of two cities the size of birmingham. it was too far, too high and less government there's a huge responsibility for not taking responsible decisions. we have taken responsible decisions. we are dealing with, for instance, bogus colleges and bogus students, and the level of net migration has come down by a quarter. we need to do more in terms of making sure that while we welcome people who want to come here and work from within the european union, would you take a tough approach to make sure people are not abusing our benefit system. my honorable friend of the immigration minister is working for hard on this issue and i think it's very important he does. >> last week the prime minister -- [inaudible] complete unacceptable practice.

[inaudible] wil will the prime minister this a good thing to actually speak to the people who use them? >> i think if you, maybe we need to modernize the system, should you get a which question, get on a tablet or a not bad so you can proceed. [shouting] but, of course, i look forward to having those discussions with people who offered food banks and those who use the banks. as i said, you saw them grow 10 times under the last labour government. and instead of attacking and i think we should praise the people that give up their time to working these organizations. [shouting] >> after huge community campaign, the hospital had a potential site for new radiotherapy unit. in order to deliver the vital service for local people, we wanted flexibility over the

tariff for radiotherapy fraction but so will the prime minister meet with me to see how we can achieve this? >> i think the honorable gentleman make an important point about the tariff and changes to the tariff. i will arrange for them to meet with the health secretary to discuss this issue. i know from visits how important the hospital is -- he mentions it is to local people and i hope this can be satisfactorily resolved. >> this brief announcement on the second phase of a just too. was welcome in manchester in the whole of the northern england. but it's a project is really going to make an impact on the north-south divide, would it make sense of one bill, and build north to south as will a south to north? >> welcome i will look carefully over the honorable gentleman this but i'm glad that is an all party welcome for high-speed rail. i think it is important that we get this done. i think the best way of delivering the legislation, the

leader of the house will come forward with our plans at the appropriate time. i worry if you change the plan to building the route you delay the overall project. and my concern is not that is going too fast if anything, it is going too slowly. >> last week graham godman was convicted, of dangerous driving and causing the death of my much respective constituents paul pastorek while disqualified uninsured and speaking. mr. godwin has multiple previous convictions for driving without insurance. and said he was not subject to the laws of our land. the current maximum prison sentence for this crime is to years. my constituents tomato understandably believes that it is time for parliament to recognize the danger caused by serious disqualified drivers, and also to increase the maximum sentence for dangerous driving. would my right honorable friend ask the justice secretary to look urgently at both of these issues of? >> i think my honorable friend can tell from the response

received around the house this concert express is shared widely around house and argued widely around the country. the previous government and his government both work to try and increase some of the penalties associated with the drivers who ended up killing people through the recklessness and carelessness. i will look carefully of what he says and arrange for them to meet with the justice secretary. i do think it's important that we give our caused a sense that when you are appalling extraordinary crimes, they can take exemplary action. i think that is important in a justice system and i look very carefully at what he said. >> thank you on the subject of food safety, the concern -- [inaudible] [laughter] >> that was -- i was -- [shouting] i had -- i had somewhere in my briefing, i had some very complicated information about the danger of particular drugs

for horses entering the food chain, and i have to say, he threw me completely without ingenious if it. [laughter] i think what i'd say is the conservative party has always been for people who want to work hard and get on, and i'm glad that all of my all of those behind the taken very seriously indeed. [shouting] >> as my right honorable friend sets forth on his pacific mission to algeria, will be, with this great historical knowledge, bear in mind that when louis philippe said his oldest son to our bureau in the 1840s -- [laughter] -- it took a century, massive casualties, the overthrow of the third republic and the genius of

general de gaulle to get the french army back out at the north african desert? [laughter] >> order order. order to i think we want to the prime minister's answer. the prime minister spent i can reach the shore my right honorable friend i am only planning to visit algiers, not anything else but i'm sure the event to which he referred he put down energy question and got a response at a time. [laughter] >> i am grateful, mr. speaker. last week the prime minister said that he was -- last week the prime minister said he was think of britain's debt, but on his what you go up by 600 billion pounds. would you like to take the opportunity to break the record? >> i'm very clear. we've got the deficit down by a

quarter, and in order to get on top of our dead you have to get on top of the deficit. that is a state located on top of our dead. but it is worth reminding ourselves why we are having to do this in the first place. who was it who wrapped up the dead? who was it who racke rack up the deficit? who was it that gave us the biggest deficit of any country, virtually anywhere in the world? it was, it was the government which he supported. >> if the prime minister it agrees the shortage of binging skills our greatest threat, and anticipation rate of women in engineering is scandalously floated willie encourage his colleagues to inspire young people to take on the challenging and well-paying careers in engineering whether graduates or apprentices? >> i will certainly very carefully at the bill that my right honorable friend puts forward. i would say that in